Return of the Phantom God
by oMarauder Moonyo
Summary: With no one left, Inuyasha must look within himself to find the answer. But when his long lost loves return, he realizes that he needs them now, more than anything. Secrets are unlocked, pasts revealed, battles lost, and friends are gained. R&R.
1. A New Discovery

Chapter 1: A New Discovery

"Mom, I'm home!" Kouhei announced as he walked through the door and sat his backpack down on the table. He sighed heavily and plopped down on the couch next to where his sister, Kinunari, sat, flipping through the channels of the television in frustration. He watched one of her furry black ears twitch and let out a small laugh.

Kouhei had semi-short, silver-white hair and shining golden orbs, which made him very different from the other people at school. Kouhei had never met his father, but never really got through the topic for very long with his mother. His mother had told him a little bit about his father, when he had asked when he was younger. He didn't have furry dog ears like his father and sister. His were more human. She had told him that it was just about the only difference between them.

Well, their looks anyways.

His father's attitude was much like that of his sisters. Or so his mother had told him. She was _very _stubborn, rude, and arrogant, and loved ramen. (Hehe...) He would bet a million she was the least girly girl in the whole school.

She had furry black dog ears that stuck out from behind her bangs, that were uniquely tipped with silver. She had long black hair, not too different from her mothers. Her eyes were a dark violet color. At school she hid her furry black dog ears with a spell cast into the small diamond on her ring. Her mother's powers were very useful.

He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where his mother had been preparing dinner, smelling the rising steam from the pot she hovered over.

"Mmm…Ramen," he said, moving closer to the pot. His mom laughed lightly, apparently lost in her thoughts. "What are you thinking about, mom?"

"Nothing…just…remembering stuff, that's all. How was your day?" he knew she was thinking about his father, but he decided not to press further on the subject.

"Oh, you know, same old, same old…" he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, go get Kinu, supper's ready," she said, turning back to the steaming pot.

"Coming!" Kinunari shouted from the living room.

"Or not," his mother laughed. He could tell it was forced. She had always been like this, no matter what he did to try to cheer her up. He sighed, and took his seat at the small table.

After supper he sat down beside his sister on the couch—again—and watched television with her for a while.

* * *

It was getting late, his sister had fallen asleep watching one of her favorite movies, and his mother had gone to bed hours ago. He tried not to move too much, because Kinunari was resting her head lightly on his shoulder. He stood up slowly, and very carefully laid her down. He grabbed the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch, and wrapped it around his little sister protectively.

He crept his way quietly up the stairs, making his way to his own comfortable bed. On his way down the hallway he heard sniffling and light laughter coming from the farthest end. His mother's room. What could she be laughing--and crying by the sound of it--about? He went quietly to the end of the hall in complete darkness, and as he got closer, saw a small glow, probably from a lamp, shine from the crack under the door. He opened the door slowly and quietly, making sure not to startle her. "Mom?" he whispered, unsure of himself.

She looked up slowly, her eyes shining with fresh tears as she looked at him. "What are you doing up this late, Kouhei?" she asked.

"I was going to bed, but I heard you in here…" he whispered back. "What's wrong, mom?" he hated to see her cry. Hated it. _Hated _it. "And don't say 'nothing.' Because I know it's something."

"Come here." She gestured with her hand, and he came and sat beside her on the bed. She pulled a small book from beside her, and opened it for him to look at. The first picture he saw made him almost mistake the person in it as himself. He knew he looked a lot like his father, but not _that _much.

His golden orbs were glaring at the camera angrily, his arms crossed, a frown on his lips. He had white hair—just like his—dog ears, similar to his sister's, and was wearing a red haori and red hakama pants. A small child was perched on his shoulder, with what looked like an animal pelt covering his front, a fluffy foxtail, and padded feet like a fox. Another man, standing to his left, was dressed in purple monks' robes, a staff leaning against his shoulder. A woman on the other side of him had a giant boomerang slung over her shoulder, and was wearing an old-fashioned kimono. Beside her on the ground was a small kitten, but it had two tails. He looked at his mom in confusion. She only smiled back. This one was different. This smile was real.

She pointed to the monk. "That's Miroku…" her finger traveled to the woman, "…that's Sango…" she pointed to the small child, "…Shippo…" then she pointed to the small kitten,"…Kirara…" she hesitated a moment, then whispered, slightly uncomfortably, "…and Inuyasha." He looked at the picture again. His finger traveled over the man in the middle of the picture. This had to be him. This had to be his dad.

_Inuyasha_…

His eyes traveled to the next picture. There was Inuyasha…and…his mother. Inuyasha looked slightly different then he had in the other picture, because he was smiling happily up at the person holding the camera, his arm wrapped around his mother's shoulders. She was also smiling up at the camera, snuggling lovingly into Inuyasha's shoulder, clutching a bow and arrow in one hand. He smiled at the picture.

"I miss him so much…" Kagome whispered. He looked up at her.

"What happened?" he whispered, again experiencing a feeling of uncertainty. He looked sadly over into her chocolate brown eyes, as if questioning her further.

"Well…" she took a deep breath before continuing. "I met Inuyasha on my fifteenth birthday. Souta and I were looking for Buyo down in the well house and…something pulled me down the well. I didn't know where I was at first, but I soon found out that I had somehow time traveled into Feudal Japan…" she looked at him uncertainly. Even though it all sounded very ridiculous and not to mention impossible, he listened.

He knew she was telling the truth. There was something in her eyes that told him to believe her. So he did.

He listened intently as she explained how she found Inuyasha, pinned to a tree, with an arrow in his heart. He cringed at the thought. She told him of how he had tried to kill her to get the jewel, how she had shattered it, and how she grew to love him. She told him of all the hard times, and the good times, and when she had shot Inuyasha in the heart with an arrow for the second time, and how he had almost become a slave to his own demonic blood (he had become very confused at this part because he knew nothing of demons, so she had to explain it to him that him, his sister, and his father were hanyou's), and how he had been possessed by an evil sword…

No matter how ridiculous and stupid it seemed, he still listened, and he knew she was telling the truth. He believed every word of it.

She soon finished her story when she said that the well had sealed itself up somehow after they had killed Naraku (she had to explain who that was) and that he was only two years old when it had.

'_So that's why I don't remember anything about dad_...,' he thought. '_Whoa_..._it kind of sounds weird saying 'dad'_...'

He took a look at the clock, and his eyes immediately widened.

4:47 a.m.

"I'm going to go to bed, mom…it's already late…" he said, kissing her goodnight on the cheek and walking slowly and quietly out of the room.

Kouhei couldn't sleep that night. He was too caught on thoughts of Inuyasha…of his father. He had realized now the torture that had been his life, and could not bear to think of the pain and suffering his father had been through. He wondered if his dad was even alive.

_'Why are you thinking _that _you moron!' _he scolded himself. He truly didn't want to even rest on that fact. No, not fact…thought.

The sun soon began to rise, and he still hadn't gotten any sleep. He looked out the window at the old shrine out in the well house. He decided, even though something inside of him was telling him not to, to go and check out the well. He quickly dressed into some dark jeans and a red t-shirt, and opened the curtains. The sun was slowly rising, and he wanted to check out the well house before his mom got up and started worrying about him.

He slid quickly down the stairs, and, careful not to disturb anyone, managed to make it out of the house.

He crept his way to the well house, opening the door quietly, though he was sure that no one could hear him. The well house was dark, but he still made it through the darkness, and stopped when he felt a wooden surface against his fingers. He knelt down next to the well, looking down into the dark depths. Something down there was daring him to jump. But he decided to follow his common sense instead.

He suddenly heard a small crash from behind him, making him shoot up…and trip. He fell backwards into the well, desperately trying to find something to grab on to, but to no avail. He expected to be knocked out cold when he hit the bottom of the well…but that never came.

Suddenly, he was devoured in a blinding blue light, and transported 500 years into the past.

Glossary 

Kouhei—Armed warrior

Kinunari--yeah...something that has to do with "golden" and "howl"

Haori—a sort of Japanese jacket/shirt, y'know…like the one Inuyasha wears

Hakama—those awesomely cool pants that Inuyasha wears!! XD

_Wow! That's it! This is really my first attempt at writing an Inuyasha story…and it turned out OK…if there is anything that you didn't get or if there are any mistakes or anything…just let me know! Anything to make my story better. I think this one might actually be worth keeping…_

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha…I am going to curl up in my little corner and cry hysterically in the fetal position…yeah…sounds good…_


	2. Hikokoro's Memories

_**A/N: **I am really sorry that I haven't updated in a while! And I'm very sorry to tell you all that I have not started to write the next chapter yet. My apologies for the inconvenience. I just got home 3 days ago from visiting my dad in Alabama…so, yeah. And I have the worst case of writer's block I have had in my life. I just made a few corrections to the end of this chapter. I will hopefully begin writing the next chapter soon! _

Chapter 2: Hikokoro's Memories

Kouhei stood up, rubbing his arm where he had landed on it. He looked around him, and covered his nose. He looked around the well, and saw nothing but bones. The whole well itself smelled horribly of decaying flesh.

'_What happened?_' he looked up only to be blinded by bright rays of sunlight. '_But…the well house—_'

He gasped in horror. '_That's it! I fell through the well! But…mom said it had sealed itself up…_'

A rush of hope coursed through his blood as he looked around frantically for a way out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what appeared to be and old, rotting, rope ladder. He hurried to it and carefully pulled on it to make sure it would hold his weight. '_Yes!_' he thought excitedly as he scrambled out of the well. He had no idea why he was so excited, but he just felt…connected to this place somehow.

As soon as he climbed over the lip of the well, he noticed that he had somehow ended up in a small clearing, surrounded by trees. He continued to walk, taking in every scent and every sight that reached his senses. He walked straight forward until the trees seemed to be spreading apart, revealing a small village. Children frolicked about, playing games of tag and hide-and-seek. The women walked to the small stream nearby, collecting water in small clay pots. Men and boys worked out in the fields, just across the stream. He pushed past the branches, taking in a full view of the small village.

"Inuyasha?" a voice called from right behind him. He turned around to see a girl about his age, with long black hair pulled back high on her head in a long ponytail, and chocolate brown eyes. He smiled and shook his head. Her cheeks turned red when she saw him, and she looked down and muttered a soft 'Oh'. An uncomfortable silence followed. He soon broke it by saying, "I'm Kouhei." He held out his hand for her to shake it.

She looked up at him with wide eyes that were filled with a mixture of happiness and disbelief. She took his hand slowly, and as she did so, pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. _Now_ he was confused. "Kouhei!" she cried joyously. "I didn't know it was you!"

"Ow…" he muttered, his lungs screaming for air.

"Oh, sorry…" she said, blushing again. She quickly let go of him. "Um…you probably don't remember me…" she held out her hand, "I'm Hikokoro."

'_Hikokoro…'_

_XXXxxxx Flashback xxxxXXX_

_"Hey Kouhei!" a two year old Hikokoro called after him. "Wait up!"_

_Kouhei stopped running after the small two-tailed cat and ran to greet his friend. "Hi Hikokoro! You're a little early…and dad's still not back yet…"_

_"Hmph…he's always late!" she said, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. "Hey—"_

_"Kouhei! Hikokoro!" a voice called from behind the two. Kouhei turned around to see his father running at him from the forest, an apologetic look on his face and slightly out of breath._

_"Daddy!" Kouhei cried, jumping into his arms. "Come on, let's go, no time to waste!"_

_"But—"_

_"Hurry up Daddy! I'll race you to the river!" _

_Kouhei jumped quickly from his father's arms, and took off running as fast as his little legs would carry him, which for his age, was pretty darn fast._

_"But—"_

_"Hurry!" Inuyasha sighed and took off after his son, slowing down occasionally to make sure he lost the race. _

_"Hey wait!" Hikokoro called after the two hanyous, running to Kirara and jumping on her back as soon as she transformed. "Hey, you guys!"_

_XXXxxxx End Flashback xxxxXXX_

"Kouhei? Are you…okay?" Hikokoro asked, waving her hand in his face.

"Huh? Oh, just remembering...something about going to the river with my dad..."

"You remembered that? That seemed like forever ago…" she laughed, tapping her chin.

"Yeah, it did," he agreed. But his mind was too caught on his father to think about the time he had spent with his friends. "Hey Hikokoro…do you know where…" his voice trailed off. He was _very _afraid of her answer.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where my father is?" The look on her face immediately saddened, and her eyes swelled with tears.

"He's not here…" she managed before she broke down completely. He hugged her tightly, tears threatening to blind him. He was almost afraid to ask:

"W-what…what happened?" she sobbed even harder into his chest, hugging him back.

"I...It's a long story…" she said, pulling away from him and wiping her tears with the sleeve of her blue and black kimono.

"Well, doesn't look like I'm leaving anytime soon. Tell me _everything,_" he told her firmly.

_XXXxxxx Hikokoro's Flashback xxxxXXX_

_Hikokoro sat on her front porch, debating whether or not to go and retrieve her uncle. _

'He's been sitting by that well for days…' _she thought sadly. It had been at least a week since her aunt Kagome and her best friend, Kouhei and his sister Kinunari, had left. When a day had passed, her Uncle had grown worried and gone after her. But when he had tried to jump down the well, it wouldn't let him through. He had tried numerous times, but ended with nothing. _

_It had been almost eight days since then. He had been sitting by the well, waiting for any sign of their return. They were his family, after all._

_She finally made up her mind and began walking in the direction of the well. She walked through the thick forest, unable to see as well, as it was growing darker._

_"Uncle 'Yasha? Are you there?" she whispered quietly. She squinted through the darkness, noticing only a flash of bright pink light, then him standing before her, his eyes glinting blood red through the pitch-black of night. She gasped in horror, turned, and ran from him. _

'What happened to him?' _she thought. She ran for her life, terrified of the figure that was slowly catching up to her, her tears blinding her and slowing her down. "Mommy! Daddy!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She silently begged for any means of rescue now. _

_A swift swirl of air caught her attention and she stopped briefly to see Inuyasha, knocked out cold against a tree, and a Hiraikotsu whiz past her head. "Hikokoro!" Sango called._

_"Mommy!" she cried again, jumping into the protection of her mother's arms, the tears finally falling. Sango held her daughter closely, staring at Inuyasha with wide and shocked eyes. _

_She clearly noticed the two jagged blue marks on his cheeks…_

_"Hikokoro, what happened?" Miroku asked._

_"I went to get Uncle Inuyasha, and I saw a light, and then…th-then he attacked me daddy!" she sobbed into Sango's shoulder. They knew immediately what he had done…_

_He had used the Shikon no Tama to become a youkai. There was definitely no turning back now. _

_XXXxxxx End Flashback xxxxXXX_

"I didn't see him again after that…mom told me that by using the Sacred Jewel he had become nothing but a violent, mindless…killer. I'm really sorry, Kouhei…" she finished. He couldn't believe his ears.

"No…" he muttered. "No." He stood up and stalked off into the forest. He refused to believe her words.

He walked deeper and deeper until he came to a nice tall tree to sit in. '_Might as well try it…' _he thought as he crouched down low, bending his knees and readying himself to jump. He pushed from the ground, and was amazed at his own speed. Not to mention how high he went. He nestled into the leaves of the tall tree, sitting quite comfortably on the thin branch. Hikokoro's words played over and over in his head.

_A violent, mindless…killer. _He shook his head to rid of it. How was it possible? Surely he couldn't have…

He suddenly felt a strange burst of energy, nothing he had ever felt before, and looked around frantically for the cause.

"Who's there?" he demanded to the area surrounding him.

As soon as he had spoken, a man stepped clear into his vision, looking somewhat sullen. He had on a red haori, and red hakamas. He had long, silver hair, and white dog-ears, very much like his sisters', and along each of his cheeks was a jagged blue stripe. He knew that this strange man was a demon.

"Who are you?" he demanded. The man looked up and gave a guilty, half-hearted smile. Kouhei gasped when their eyes met.

His eyes…they were _exactly _like his.

"Who are you?" he demanded again. The look in his eyes saddened further. Kouhei took a closer look into his brightly lit golden orbs. Then it hit him.

"Dad?"


	3. Sudden Realizations

_**A/N: **Well, here you go. Another chapter. Sorry about the wait! Just a few things before I get started. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Inuyasha. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, I do own Kouhei, Kinunari, Hikokoro, and some later characters (including the Phantom God :D). _

_**Extra Note: **These next two chapters will be what has happened while Kouhei was hanging out with Hikokoro, just incase you get confused. _

Chapter 3: Sudden Realizations

"Kouhei!" Kinunari shouted into the darkness for the umpteenth time. She wasn't one to worry, but what else are you supposed to do when your brother falls down an old smelly well?

She hurried out of the well house, straight to the front door. She scrambled into the kitchen where her mom was getting ready to cook breakfast, slightly out of breath.

"What's wrong, Kinu?" Kagome asked.

"Kouhei…fell…well house!" she said, waving her arms frantically and pointing at the door. Kagome was confused. Very confused. Then it hit her. Her mind swirled with thoughts as she turned off the burner and hurried to the door.

"Come on!" she motioned for Kinunari to follow her.

"But mom!"

"No! Come on!"

Kagome was desperate for an answer. If Kouhei had really fallen down the well…she had to find out. Why had it opened? And how?

Inuyasha's name echoed repeatedly in her head. Tears streamed down her face as she pictured his smiling face.

She finally reached the well house, hesitantly opening the door. All of those years of questioning and doubt would finally be gone. All of her hopes now lay within the darkness of the Bone Eaters well. Her only hope.

She took slow steps, unsure of what the outcome would be. What if it didn't work? She would be crushed of course, but what about Kouhei? Would she ever see him again? What if the well had only opened for him? How had it opened in the first place? She was so confused.

"Mom?" Kinunari's voice came from behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," She replied after a slight pause. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her blue sweater and continued.

Kinunari knew she was lying. She felt the uneasiness when her mom stepped into the well house. She sensed her fear. Her desperation. She could smell her tears. But she still continued. There was something her mother wasn't telling her, and she was about to find out the answer.

Kagome looked down into the deep dark depths of the Bone Eaters well. "Kouhei?" she whispered hesitantly. "Kouhei!"

"I tried mom, he didn't answer me." Kagome looked at her daughter with a raised eyebrow. She had actually sounded…worried. She shook her head when Kinunari muttered a "Feh!" and turned her head stubbornly when she realized that she was actually caring.

"Come."

"Huh? What?" Kinunari said stupidly. Kagome motioned to the well. Of course, Kinunari didn't see it in her moment of stupidity.

"Kinunari, we have to jump."

"What?!"

"Do you want to help your brother or not?" She wasn't going to bother telling her why she needed to jump. She just did. She had given up too much to hide it to tell her now. Why did she always have to be so difficult?

'_I'm a wreck…'_ She thought.

_'All of this thinking is giving me a headache…' _Kinunari thought, rubbing her pounding head. Definitely her moment of stupidity.

Kagome jumped. "Mom! Are you crazy!" Kinunari yelled after her. As soon as Kinunari had spoken, a vibrant blue light appeared at the bottom of the well. Kinunari peeked down into it as the light began to fade. Nope, no Kagome.

'_How do I get myself into these kinds of situations?' _Kinunari thought as she desperately held her breath and jumped into the well.

XXXxxxxxxxxXXX

Kagome stared at the blue light that separated her times from Inuyasha's. It was a miracle. How did this happen? Sometimes she wondered how she got herself into these kinds of situations. Go figure. Great minds think alike, she guessed.

"It worked…" Kagome muttered as the blue light around her began to fade. "I'm in the Feudal Era…" She looked up to see bright rays of sunshine dancing happily around the well, seemingly welcoming her. She smiled. She was home.

The blue light once again blinded her, and was soon replaced by a very shocked and confused looking Kinunari.

"Mom?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Yes?" Kagome answered, seeming to be in a better mood she had been in a couple minutes ago. It's strange what that kind of stuff can do to you.

"What just happened?" Kagome smiled at the look on her face. She looked just like a lost puppy. She reminded her so much of her father…

"Come on." She motioned for Kinunari to follow her, moving her hands along the walls for the old rope ladder.

Her fingers wrapped around the ladder, and she tugged on it to make sure it would hold her weight. She began climbing, when she heard a voice. She stopped. A very familiar voice. _'Kouhei!'_

She looked at Haru, whose ears were twitching in every direction trying to pick up the conversation. She turned her attention back to Kouhei when he spoke again. "Who are you?" she heard his voice say. There was a slight pause. "Who are you?" He demanded again, rougher this time. There was another pause, in which she heard a sharp gasp, and rustling of leaves. His feet connected with hard ground. "Dad?"

Her heart stopped.

**_A/N:_** _Okay, I know this chapter is somewhat short. Okay, really, really short. But I am slowly overcoming my bad case of the writer's block, and I just had to end it here. Cliffy's are awesome! I went too far as it is. I really hope you like this chapter! I'm really sorry it took so long to post. Things will get better through the next two chapters. Then let the fun begin! This chapter was about what happened with Kagome and Kinunari when Kouhei fell down the well, and the next will be what happened with Inuyasha. Oh, goody, that will be fun to write. I will continue the next chapter depending on how many reviews I get. I'm expecting at least three maximum. Is that too much to ask? _


	4. Myouga's Warning

_**A/N: **Woohoo! Celebrate! Another chapter! Yeah! I'll shut up now and get on with the chapter! This one is what happened with Inu after Kouhei fell down the well! Just incase! You can never be too sure! Why am I still writing with exclamation points? I don't know!_

_Disclaimer: Don't own 'em._

_**Random Note: **Yay! Myouga's in this chapter! Myouga rules!_

Chapter 4: Myouga's Warning

"But, milord!"

"No, Myouga. My decision is final."

"But—"

"No."

Myouga fell silent. The man had gone out if his mind!

"And have you forgotten that I can read yours?" He laughed. Myouga hung his head in shame and embarrassment. He _had_ forgotten.

Inuyasha sighed. "I can't just let this go unnoticed. Surely you know that?"

"Yes, milord, but—"

"Then I shall go."

He sighed. "Yes, milord. Just be careful. You know of the dangers—"

"Yes, I know."

He thought for a moment. And thought. And thought. "And I will be coming with you."

"But—"

"No. I am coming with you."

"Fine."

And before he knew it, he was flying through the air, clinging to the small strands of hair on the huge dog's muzzle. He squinted as the wind stung his eyes. He flew back and forth, clinging to the strands of hair for dear life.

And there he was, swinging on a strand of hair in complete silence while his master searched for his destination. What a lucky flea he was.

"Yes, so lucky…" Inuyasha muttered quietly.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't read my mind, thank you," he sighed in annoyance.

"Gomen…" he said absent-mindedly. Myouga pitied him. He stole a glance at the Shikon no Tama. The Jewel of Four Souls. It was Inuyasha's burden. Inuyasha had called it a curse. And because of it, he would never see his family again.

He remembered that day just like had been yesterday.

He stared blankly at the fuzzy treetops, using his nose to find what he was looking for. He only hoped he was right. If he wasn't, it was likely he would die of heartbreak. Or be killed by demons searching for revenge. Whichever one came first.

It played over and over in his head. The day he lost everything.

xxxXXX Flashback XXXxxx

_"Kagome?" Inuyasha called to the empty hut. _

_"She and the kids went to…err…_visit_ her mother," a voice told him from behind. It was Miroku. Something about him didn't seem quite right…_

_"Oh, thank goodness…" he sighed. Miroku smiled at him. A smile that sent chills up his spine. _

_"Don't worry I'm sure they'll be back soon," he reassured him, patting him on the back and leaving the hut._

_"Ok…that was awkward…" he muttered, following Miroku. _

_"Uncle Yasha!"_

_"Hey, Koko," he smiled, picking up his 2-year-old niece off the ground. _

_"Where's Auntie Kagome?" she asked, her innocent little eyes looking straight into his. _

_"Apparently, she went to visit her mother," he told her. _'Without telling you…' _a tiny voice in his head said suspiciously. _'Something's going on here…'

_Oh, how he regretted ignoring that tiny little voice. _

_XXXxxx The Next Day xxxXXX_

_Inuyasha woke up before the sun the next morning, mostly because he could barely stay asleep at all. He was very worried about Kagome. Why hadn't she come back yet? He crept to the other side of the small room on all fours, reaching a small box in the corner, hidden in the shadows. He stopped in front of it and pulled it into his lap, taking the key from around his neck and unlocking it. He slowly opened the lid, squinting at the bright pink light that glowed from within. He reached a hand to grab the item inside, but quickly withdrew it as soon as a small, hidden pink barrier showed up, cradling the precious stone in the confines of its safe power. He took a look at his hand, seeing a small burn mark on his palm where he had touched it. He sighed. _

'It's just like Kagome to think of these things…'_ he closed the box, locking it and putting it back in its corner. _'But why would she leave without taking the Shikon no Tama with her? That's not like her at all…'_ he scrunched up his face in confusion, getting up and walking out of the hut. He was going to solve this mystery. Or try to anyways. _

_He walked to the forest, passing the God Tree and smiling at the small heart at its base that had the words 'Inu & Kag Forever' scrunched inside of it. _

_He soon reached a small clearing, and walked over to the Bone Eaters well. He stared down into it's dark depths, and, without even thinking, jumped. _

_What happened, had definitely **not** been what he had expected. Or wanted for that matter. He fell to his knees, tears falling from his eyes as he realized what had just happened. There had been no blue light. No darkness, signaling that he was in the well house. Signaling that he had time traveled. He was still in his time. _

_It hadn't worked. _

_He hastily jumped out of the well, turning around and jumping back in. _

_Still nothing happened. _

_And the tears fell faster. _

_He jumped out, sitting down and leaning his back against the well. He pulled his knees to his chest and set his forehead on his hands. "No…" _

_XXXxxx The Next Day xxxXXX_

_"Uncle Yasha?" little Hikokoro called to the forest. Her mom told her not to go too far. But she was really worried. When she went to go visit Uncle Yasha this morning, he wasn't in his hut. Auntie Kagome wasn't there either. She thought she would be back by now. _

_"Koko!" she turned around to see her mother looking at her with concern written all over her face. "I thought I told you not to go too far!" _

_"I sorry Mommy I was worried 'bout Uncle Yasha," she said, hanging her head. _

_"He'll be fine, he can take care of himself. I'm sure he'll be back soon. He probably just went to go get Kagome."_

_"Yay! Auntie Kagome!"_

_Sango laughed. But deep down she knew…something was terribly wrong. _

_XXXxxx Three Days Later xxxXXX_

_"Uncle Yasha!"_

_Silence. _

_"Uncle Yasha!"_

_Hikokoro had waited three days for her uncle to return. Even Sango and Miroku had started to worry. She walked farther into the endless forest, passing the God Tree and searching for any signs of him. _

_Nothing. _

_She shielded her eyes when a bright pink light shone form just past the God Tree. When it faded, she walked over to it, peeking behind it._

_"Uncle Yasha?"_

_He turned around and snarled angrily at her. She whimpered in fear. This wasn't _her _Uncle Yasha. His eyes were glowing an angry, blood red color, and he had jagged blue stripes on his cheeks and a glowing, but very faint, (1) blue star on his forehead. She noticed his huge fangs, and almost screamed in fear. _

_He jumped at her. And this time she did scream. She shot off in the opposite direction, running as fast as her little legs would take her, which wasn't nearly fast enough. _

_She felt a strong gust of wind blow her hair into her eyes, and she skidded to a halt when she heard a deafening yelp, and a huge '_thud.' _She wiped her hair out of her face and turned around to see Inuyasha, unconscious, the Hiraikotsu pinning him to the God Tree. _

xxxXXX End XXXxxx

He shivered. He couldn't let that memory get in his way now.

He landed gracefully on the branch of a tall tree, crouching down low and keeping to the leaves. He sniffed the air for any signs of what he was looking for. It was there. He knew it now.

Some rustling nearby brought him out of his thoughts and caused him to almost fall off the branch. He hugged the trunk to keep himself steady, and looked in the direction the rustling had come from.

And there he was. The spitting image of himself, just without the dog-ears. _'And shorter hair…but that's beside the point.'_

He jumped from the tree, loosing his balance as he touched the ground, causing him to slam into it. Face first. "_Ow…_" He looked up quickly and sighed, relieved. He hadn't heard. He let his barrier down for only just a fraction of a second in all the confusion. Big mistake.

"Who's there?"

"Crap…"

He paused, putting up his barrier again. He sat up. Holding his breath, he stood.

"Who are you?" He gave a guilty smile. He was just like him already. Kouhei gasped.

"Who are you?" he demanded. His heart sank. So he _didn't _remember him. Kouhei stared straight into his eyes. Neither of them moved. Inuyasha heard some scuffling from inside of the well. Part of him was screaming _'Oh my God, the well!' _and the other, more dominant part, was concentrating on staring into his son's eyes.

Kouhei jumped down from his branch and walked closer, still not averting his eyes.

"Dad?"

He smiled. This was definitely a good day.


	5. Together At Last

_**A/N: **I can't believe how long it's been since I actually got on here and tried to read or write something. I promised so many people that I would have the next chapter up last summer. I'm really sorry for you guys that have been waiting so long. (If any of you still go on here...) I'm warning you, this chapter is really, really corny, so you may not like it. :( If you don't, oh well. At least I tried.__ Well, anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy._

**Together At Last**

Kagome scampered up the rest of the ladder, her heart feeling as light as ever. She pushed herself with all of her strength onto the lip of the well, breathing heavily. She saw Kouhei, standing there, looking as stupid as ever. Her heart lightened, knowing that he was okay. His curious eyes pleaded to her for an answer, and then to the stranger, who, up until that moment, had been forgotten.

Kouhei dwelled into his own deep thoughts of Nothing. The events that had occured only in the past hour were too much for his brittle mind to handle.

In a sudden moment, a pink jewel around the stranger's neck began to glow. He kept his eyes fixed on Kagome, who looked straight back into his. His golden orbs were full of so much hurt and sorrow, and were begging her to come closer. The pink light faded, and the man put a hand tight around the jewel, pulling it away from his neck. _'My curse...my miracle.'_

All the while, Myouga stood, propped up on his Master's shoulder. He smiled, and looked up at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome. She had come back to him. A soft, loving smile pranced his lips as she walked up to him. "Inuyasha?" she uttered in disbelief. His smile grew wider. His put his hand on her cheek gingerly, and tears began to fall from her eyes. He put his arms around her, afraid to let go.

_"Who?" _Kinunari whispered to Kouhei, and he shushed her with a quick finger to his lips.

Kagome looked up at her husband, smiling, her face tearstained. He leaned in slowly. Their lips touched, and everything seemed to vanish. Inuyasha's heart relaxed. He held her in his arms, and she moved in closer. Suddenly immersed in the sweet scent of cherry blossoms, he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, stroking her hair lightly. Kagome seemed overwhelmed; she moaned quietly when he pressed harder, but relaxed as he softened. She started stroking his hair, too, sending shivers up and down his spine.

It stayed blissful like this for only a few moments more--as they pulled away, Inuyasha lovingly kissed the side of her cheek, her lips, then her cheek again. He looked in her eyes. Their chocolate brown hue was brighter than it had ever been. She was practically glowing.

_'Wow...dreamy,' _Kinunari thought, wondering who this stranger was that suddenly made her mom so happy. She was happier than Kinunari has ever seen her. It even made her smile at the sight.

Inuyasha looked back at his son and daughter. Kouhei was looking at him, smiling. He smiled back. Kinunari was leaning against a tree, examining her fingernails like she was marvelled at the sight of her chipped black nail polish. He laughed softly. That was definintely his daughter. He felt a soft kiss on his cheek, and looked back at Kagome. "Come on.." she gestured towards the two. "I'll introduce you." She grabbed his hand and he followed. Kinunari finally looked back up at him, seeing nothing but pure joy in those golden eyes, that had looked so dead only moments before. It was in that moment, that she finally realized who the strange man had been all along.

She was home again.

_Really quick, rushed chappy. Hope you like it though, it took me forever to overcome that terrible disease we Fanfictionists call 'Writer's Block'. And there's the fact that I have also been drawing and oekaki-ing instead of writing FF like I promised. Really sorry about the wait you guys, I hope I can put a little more of my time into writing instead of constantly sleeping and procrastinating. _

_R&R would be very nice. :)_

_P.S. I know, it's really short; I might, instead of putting it up in the next chapter, add the introduction to the end of this chapter to make it a little longer. I don't know; what do you think?_


	6. Author's Note D8

**I am SO sorry to all of the (is it safe to say 'fans'?) wonderful people who have been reading my story, 'Return of the Phantom God'. I am currently rewriting/revising/editing every chapter thoroughly before I continue on to the next chapter. I have no intention of deleting ROTPG, but I am having a lot of difficulty updating it on a regular basis, so please, bear with me. **

**The next update will be very soon, I promise. :)**

**Moony**


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